maintaining accurate, clear and concise records and communicating information to members of the team as necessary

maintaining and ordering stocks of equipment

providing a safe environment for the management of patients and protection of staff and visitors.

Assistant practitioner - podiatry

working within a podiatry service, providing basic foot care after an assessment by a registered podiatrist and undertaking delegated clerical duties

preparing environments and resources, during and after clinical activities, maintaining a safe and clean environment

assessing the condition and risk status of the feet of an individual with diabetes and discussing the results of the examination with the individual and/or carer and explain any specific problems(s), which may require further tests or treatment and implement these referrals

Assistant practitioner - radiography

performing general radiographic duties, under the supervision of a qualified radiographer

undertaking all practical aspects of radiography, including referring to exposure charts

positioning patients to obtain standard images, film type selection, processing film images and assessing all images with a qualified radiographer to ensure they reach the required standard

obtaining images of an immobile or uncooperative patient

undertaking fluorography examinations such as Barium Enemas and meals, under the instruction of a radiologist or radiographer

working with seriously ill patients and those at the end of their lives, communicating with their relatives and carers

using highly complex x-ray equipment in a way that will not cause harm to self or others.

giving patients instructions regarding changes prior to investigation and assist them to change if necessary

communicating with patients regarding appointments, time delays and queries, and liase with professional staff as necessary

Working as part of a team will be common in most practitioner roles.

Working in a range of settings

Assistant practitioners work in a range of locations, including in the community (such as clinics, patients' own homes, G.P. surgeries) and in hospitals (such as in wards, pathology laboratories, accident and emergency departments, medical physics departments etc).

Depending upon the role and the nature of the work, assistant practitioners may be expected to work shifts.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements will vary, depending on the post and level of responsibility.

For some posts, assistant practitioners may need a level 3 vocational qualification and care experience. For others, they may need a BTEC higher diploma or foundation degree in a subject relevant to their area of work (e.g. science or health and social care). Details of the exact requirements will appear in the person specification for each job vacancy, as advertised on the NHS Jobs website.

It may be a requirement to have experience of working with people - typically in a healthcare setting - and applicants who have worked as healthcare assistants or support workers, will often have developed the skills and attributes to apply for assistant or trainee assistant practitioner posts.

Financial support

Employers may provide support to those working towards a qualification, but this should be clarified with the employer directly.

Pay for assistant practitioners

Assistant practitioners will normally be paid on band 4 of the Agenda for Change pay system but this will be dependent on the actual content of the job role. Trainee assistant practitioner posts will normally be paid on band 3. For actual pay rates, click here.

Details of pay for individual job vacancies appear in job advertisements on the NHS Jobs website.

Career prospects

Staff can progress through the levels of the NHS Career Framework by developing skills and competences through learning and development. Find out more about the career framework here.

Assistant practitioners may be given the opportunity to progress onto further training, such as secondment onto a pre-registration programme, with support from their employing NHS organisation.

Seconded assistant practitioners would usually study part-time for a programme in occupational therapy, one of the branches of nursing (adult, children's, mental health or learning disability), physiotherapy, radiography, speech and language therapy or podiatry.

Successful completion of pre-registration training provides the opportunity for movement up through the Career Framework and Agenda for Change pay scales. For example, newly qualified nurses commence on band 5 of Agenda for Change.

Alternatively, assistant practitioners not wanting to develop their career, may be able to gain additional experience and responsibility by broadening their existing role and remain at band 4 of the Career Framework.

Assistant practitioners will be expected to maintain their knowledge and skills through continuous professional development (CPD). This might involve attending courses or seminars, for example.

Further information

Individual professional bodies may have information about the role of assistant practitioners. See below for professional body contact information for each career area in the NHS.